Sleeping Rowena
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: Sleeping Beauty!AU. When the kingdom of Hogwarts throw their annual Yule Ball, they invite everyone. Everyone that is except for the fairy queen Gunnhild of Nevermore. But what happens when Gunnhild takes a page out of a certain other fairy's book and places a cursed spinning wheel in Hogwarts castle? Will Rowena find her true love's kiss, or will she sleep forever?


**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Potions: Hangover Cures assignment, Pinata Club, Galleons Club, Showtime, Southern Funfair's Light the Menorah, Eastern Funfair's Advent Calendar, and Northern Funfair's Ice Fishing. Also for Sapphic Season on Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges. Also for Winter Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Potions: Hangover Cures assignment: Extra Credit Task 5 - Wiggenweld Potion, Write a Sleeping Beauty!AU.**

**Pinata Club: Easy Founders Era**

**Galleons Club: (character) Rowena Ravenclaw**

**Showtime: Finale (word) Festive**

**Southern Funfair's Light the Menorah: (AU) Fairytale**

**Eastern Funfair's Advent Calendar: 13. (character) Helga Hufflepuff**

**Northern Funfair's Ice Fishing: B10 (character Rowena Ravenclaw**

**Sapphic Season: Femslash pairing of Helga Hufflepuff/Rowena Ravenclaw**

**Winter Bingo: 2B (dark), word count is 2,079 words.**

**Warning for Fairytale!AU so there might be slight out of character to make the character fit the roles they play. I hope you all enjoy Sleeping Rowena.**

Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Hogwarts. The kingdom was happy place ruled by four people. Two kings and two queens, who all lived in harmony with each other and all the neighboring kingdoms. All but one. The kingdom of Nevermore.

The kingdom of Nevermore was ruled by an evil fairy called Gunnhild, and she would like nothing more than cause trouble for the neighboring kingdom of Hogwarts. A jealousy of the kingdom had long ruled over dark Gunnhild's heart. She wanted to rival, no, be better than her neighbors.

So it came to pass that the kingdom of Hogwarts had an annual ball for the Yuletide season. Everyone was invited from the least to the greatest. From Hogwarts to all its neighboring kingdoms. All except for the kingdom of Nevermore.

When Queen Gunnhild heard of this snub of her and her country she flew into a vicious rage. One which had never before been seen in the kingdom of Nevermore, and would never be seen again in recorded history for that fact.

"They dare not to invite me to their Yule Ball," she screams blonde hair flying about her in a fury as she prepared to pay her neighbors an unexpected visit. "They will rue the day they decided not to invite to their stupid Yule Ball." She smiled dangerously. "But what to bring my honorable hosts as a gift for the season?"

She walked towards the room of cursed artifacts that had been handed down through the history of her people. The rulers of Nevermore had always been dark fairies. The darkest of them all had left the biggest piece, one that Gunnhild knew would make for the perfect gift for the kings and queens of Hogwarts. As well as the perfect revenge for not inviting her to their party. After all she was royalty too.

Dressing in the darkest shade of black dress she could find in her closest she called her servant to bring the spinning wheel. Then she made her way from her castle to the land of Hogwarts.

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Hogwarts, a merry old time was being held. Rowena couldn't remember a merrier time in all of her young life. She smiled as she danced and chatted away with her fellow kings and queen, Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, and Helga Hufflepuff. It wasn't long until the talk had turned to the guests that were in attendant.

"I'm glad that the ruler of Beauxbutton has seen fit to come to our Yule Ball," Godric said, giving Salazar a pointed look. "After last years debacle I'm surprised that he even bother to come. Right Salazar?"

Salazar looked down at his feet in contrite. "I was only stating that inviting anyone who wasn't a pureblood was in bad…"

"It is the Yuletide, my friends," Helga interjected. "We could sit here and argue and ruin everyone's festive spirit, or we could dance and make merry? Set aside your difference for one night, my friends. Revel and have fun. Our troubles will still be here in the morning when all is said and done."

"Helga is right," Rowena said, sharing a smile with Helga, as a blush crept on her face. "Shall we dance?"

"We shall," Helga said taking Rowena's hand in her own, the light touch of her skin sending a trail of fire down Rowena's arm, making them both blush.

The musicians played on as Rowena and Helga danced the night away almost. Rowena lost in the smile that Helga was giving her. Then everything went wrong.

A darkness overtook the castle and a low whistling sound like the fall of something from on high sounded. The dark figure that landed before the four kings and queens of Hogwarts bleached the color out of the faces of the lords and ladies. Even one or two of the kings and queens present as well.

The tall statuesque blonde woman looked around the room at all the faces frozen in fear, staring at her like she'd just sprouted horns from her head. Her grey blue eyes blazed with a fury she still felt at the snub.

"I was sorry to see that my invite your festivities was lost on the way to my palace," Gunnhild said, giving them a way out of their predicament. If they would only take it and apologize for snubbing her all would be forgiven and things could continue on as they always did.

"It didn't," Salazar was the first to speak. The dark look in his almost black eyes betraying the fear his voice didn't hold. "Why would invite someone who doesn't like us?"

"What Salazar means to say…." Helga went to interject, but was cut off by Salazar again.

"We aren't that insane to invite you when you and your people have threatened the peace of this land," Salazar stormed on.

Godric nodded in agreement, which didn't surprise anyone let alone Rowena Ravenclaw. Anyone knew that Godric would agree with Salazar. The two of them were practically of one mind on most things, after all.

"Is that so?" Gunnhild asked, a lilt of laughter present in her voice. "I give you the chance to right your wrongs, and you call me insane." She shook her head sadly. "After I brought this present from my people, all the way here." She motioned the servant with the spinning wheel forward. "It was meant as a peace token. I leave it in your gentle care with a warning. One prick of your finger and you will sleep forever."

"What?" Godric shouted. "Was that a threat?"

"It was a promise," Gunnhild said, evil smile glinting on her face. Her eyes traveled over to Rowena and Helga. "That is unless one is awoken by true love's kiss."

"True what?" Salazar yelled after the retreating back of the dark fairy as she flew from the room like a storm on the moors. "What does that even mean?"

"Don't worry about," Godric said, waving off the threat just made on whoever pricked their finger on the stupid old spinning wheel. "We'll put the thing somewhere no will be able to find it. Then her threat won't come true."

And so the spinning wheel, and dark Gunnhild's threat upon the four kings and queens of Hogwarts went unheeded. The spinning wheel was locked away from the rest of the kingdom like Godric had suggested. All that happened that night was left to legend, or at least it should have been.

The spinning wheel had been imbued with a call once the words of its curse had been invoked. The could not be ignored once one had heard it and the only way to make it stop would be to be standing in front of it. So it was no surprise when a scream was heard throughout the castle one afternoon four years after the spinning wheels arrival.

"What is it?" Salazar said staggering out of the room he and Godric shared in the castle. "What's happening?"

"I'll kill," Godric said, exiting the room pulling on his shirt. "Whatever it is. Just point the way."

The only sound that met their ears were crying and wailing of Helga Hufflepuff as she tried to explain what had happened. Listening to each and every word of Helga's story would help them determine how best to go about dealing with the situation.

"We were walking through the castle exploring all the different rooms when…" She broking another round of uncontrollable sobbing.

"When what Helga?" Salazar finally stated. "What happened, woman?"

"We found that spinning wheel Gunnhild of Nevermore brought to us four Yuletides ago," Helga whispered. "I told Rowena not to go near it. But she said that it was silly to be afraid of something as simple as a curse. She walked closer and started examining the spinning wheel and then...and then it happened."

"What happened, Helga?" Godric said patiently.

"She pricked her finger on the spinning wheel's needle," Helga sobbed again.

The two dark haired men took off down the hall to the place they remembered the spinning wheel being taken. Silently praying that what Helga had said wasn't true. That it was some sort of practical joke on Helga and Rowena's part. But then again Rowena was rarely known to joke, let alone that kind of a joke.

Upon entering the room Godric and Salazar saw the cursed spinning wheel sitting in the spot they'd left it. Lying upon the floor next it, raven hair splayed out around her head where she'd fallen, was Rowena. Fast asleep, like Gunnhild had cursed the spinning wheel to make its victim.

"What do we do?" Salazar asked, watching Godric for guidance.

"We take her back to her room, first of all," Godric began, picking Rowena up. "Then we begin the search for Rowena's true love's kiss."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Salazar snarked. "Like like looking for a needle in a needle stack."

"Don't talk like that, Sal," Godric chided him. "This our dearest friend, Rowena, we are talking about here."

Salazar mumbled a quick sorry as he followed Godric to Rowena's room. An idea struck him and as soon as Rowena's head hit the pillow he enacted it. Gently pressing his lips against her own.

Pulling back he watched and waited. Nothing happened. He didn't expect that anything would happen. After all, it was well known that he and Godric were together. Godric was his true love but he had to give it a try. Right?

Godric, of course, had to try too. He didn't want to be outdone by his lover. So he gently placed a chaste kiss on Rowena's lips.

Pulling back once again he watched and waited like with Salazar. But nothing happened. He smiled over at Salazar thanking Merlin and anyone else out there that would listen that it hadn't been he or Salazar that had pricked their finger. He's not sure how anyone would handle finding out about them.

"So we set about looking throughout the kingdom for the one person who can wake Rowena with true love's kiss?" Salazar asked, watching Godric wearily.

Godric nodded solemnly. "I'll send out letters to all the noble young lads in the land," he said. "I'm sure we'll find the right person soon."

Letters were sent out wide and far. One even found its way to the son of the person who'd put the curse upon Rowena, Gunnhild's son Guthrum. But try as they might no one could wake Rowena Ravenclaw.

Kiss after, kiss after, kiss was placed upon Rowena's lips by every noble lord and gentleman within the kingdom and all the other kingdoms. Rowena lay still and motionless.

Helga felt like her world was coming to an end. Rowena had only gone exploring in that room because Helga had wanted to. If it weren't for Helga, Rowena wouldn't be in this position. All these strange random men wouldn't be in Rowena's room, kissing her and trying to wake her up.

"Why did you listen to me?" Helga sobbed after Guthrum, son Gunnhild left Rowena's room. "If I would have known it would lead to this I wouldn't have suggested going into that room." She wiped her eyes, sitting on the cold lavender silk coverings on the bed. "I'm sorry, Rowena. I'm sorry we can't find someone to bring you back." She leaned her forehead against the sleeping girl's own. "I miss you. I love you." Closing the distance between their lips in a chaste kiss she pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What happened?" Rowena's voice sounded weakly. "How did I get in my room? The last thing I remember is being in the room with ..."

It hit her with shock of being hit with a ton of bricks. She'd pricked her finger on the spinning wheel. The only way to break the spell on the spinning wheel was true love's kiss. She looked at Helga in shock. Helga Hufflepuff was her true love.

"Come here," Rowena said, holding out her arms and pulling Helga into another chaste kiss. She'd have to remember to thank Gunnhild of Nevermore for helping her find her true love.

From that day forward the kingdoms of Hogwarts, and Nevermore were always the closest of friends. The letter from Rowena healing the fracture that not being invited to the Yule Ball had left. And they all lived happily ever after.

The End...or is it?

**I hope you all enjoyed Sleeping Rowena as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


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